Anything And Everything
by Rhiannon A. Christy
Summary: Fifty years into the war with the Sisters, Sarah and Jareth have to deal with the weight of the war and children. Oneshot sequel to The Crystal Swan. *Complete*


Jareth ran an ungloved hand through his hair. It had been fifty years, fifty bloody years since Gethin had been killed and the war had started. He knew that it would take years to end this travesty, this was perhaps just the very beginning of it. But, oh how he wished that it would all just end tomorrow.

He had his Sarah, and quite a few children, most grown into capable adults now. His youngest, Andraste, was only five. When he and Sarah had found out about the pregnancy, he had been delighted more than just because of another child.

With each of the children Sarah would return to the Labyrinth, there he knew she would be protected. She would remain until she believed the child was old enough to deal without her presence. It had been two years since Sarah had returned to fight, since she had last seen their children.

Jareth refused to allow any of them to fight the war, even his sons. He knew many of them were angry and hurt, but he had waited a long time to have his children and his family. It was hard enough having Sarah fighting along side of him.

Leaning against the doorway to the throne room Jareth groaned. He had been gone eleven years himself. This was the first time back to the castle since he and his army had left to secure Thanatos, one of the larger cities to the east. It was also the first time that he would meet his three youngest children.

Saoirse, his oldest by Sarah, would often send letters to her parents in regards to the health of their children as well as the kingdom. Saoirse, had been angered by her parents' decision to leave her behind in the Goblin Kingdom, but quickly grew into her role as Regent and surrogate parent for her siblings. For this he was grateful. It was hard enough to leave while someone else raised his children, at least he was comforted by the fact that it was his own daughter and not some random elven maid.

A crash from the throne room pulled him away from his musings and back to the present. They had finally secured Thanatos, it had taken them eleven years and the loss of many, but they had finally managed to tear down the city walls and eradicate all traces of the Sisters.

He turned to enter the chamber knowing what he would find there. It was the same after each victory, his wife would be resting in her throne awaiting the chance to reunite with her family. As he passed the threshold Jareth noticed something different than all the times before.

The floor was scattered with pieces of tattered clothing, silver and leather armor tossed about as though their owner had little use for them. Below the dais where the two thrones stood was a sword. Its hilt was muddy and missing a few of the ornamental stones. The blade was scratched where it had crossed with the enemy's untold times. Crusting along its edge was drying blood from its last victim.

He let his eyes drift upward to rest on the hunched figure of his wife. She had slipped down within her throne, her knees pushed up against her body, hiding her face from the rest of the world. He could see the mud on her fingers, the dried blood under her nails. Her knew that once she lifted her head he would see the slash that one of the Sisters made just hours ago before Sarah had lifted her sword above her and brought it down to sever his head.

Sarah was no longer a child, though at the age of seventy-two she still looked all of twenty. He fought against the tears that threatened to fall, she still looked so young and innocent. It pained him to see her this way, this war had truly taken her innocence away leaving behind only an illusion.

Sarah lifted her head, her eyes held no smile, nor her lips. A hand lifted from her lap extending to him, one that he gladly and quickly took. He kneeled before her, both of them simply taking comfort from the other. It was Sarah who finally broke the silence.

"I went to see the children before I came here, Cedric had written a month ago wanting to know about Thanatos. I had thought I would inform him of our victory. He was happy of course, and can't wait to meet his father.

"It seems as though Saoirse has been telling the children stories of the first few years of the war, Cedric is very much enamored with the view of his victorious father. Verity herself couldn't stop jumping up and down in excitement over seeing you, but…" Sarah's face darkened and tears began to pool at the corners of her eyes.

"But? What happened Love?" He held her hand just a little firmer as he waited for her to finish.

"Andraste, when I entered the other children ran right up to me giving me hugs and kisses, but she just stayed back. When I approached her she wouldn't let me even touch her and hid behind Cedric.

"Jareth, she didn't even know who I was! She was scared out of her wits of me, and it took her brothers and sisters to convince her of who I was. When I told her I was her mother she said that I couldn't be because her mother didn't live here and wouldn't come. She doesn't think I love her!" Tears were pouring now down her cheeks as she remembered the frightened little girl, the little girl who looked so much like Sarah when she was that age. This war was tearing her apart.

She had killed man after man, it didn't matter that they themselves had committed worse sins, she had still taken a life. She was away from her children most of the time, only seeing them when her and Jareth hadn't been careful and she found out she was pregnant. An occurrence that happened all to often, and one that she suspected Jareth of causing. She knew he would rather her stay at the Goblin Castle, raise their children. But she couldn't, she had a duty to her kingdom and her people. It was suppose to take both her and Jareth to eliminate the Sisters and right things, that couldn't happen when she was locked away in the Goblin Castle.

"Of course she knows you love her, Sarah look at me." He cupped her chin bringing her eyes up to meet his.

"She is young, all too soon she will understand what is happening. When that happens she will regret speaking those words. For my part I am at least happy at the moment that she doesn't understand what is going on around her. She is far too young to have to worry about her parents that way.

"Andraste will come round, you will see. You have no need to worry about her, it is Cedric that has me worried at the moment." He laid a soft kiss atop her nose before standing.

"He does seem awfully interested in the war. He reminds me a lot of his big brother, Paul was the same. Always romanticizing the war and all. And it doesn't help with all the tales he is being told, he thinks his father is some sort of invincible god." Jareth smirked making a little gesture with his hand.

"And I am not?" Sarah just rolled her eyes. The war had taken its toll on both of them, but they each knew that without the support of the other they would have gone insane before now. They both knew how to liven the mood of the other, how to keep their love from delving into depression.

"Hm, sadly no. And Saoirse should stop planting that idea in the children's heads, it causes nothing but trouble. If you will remember Paul had snuck into a caravan once when he was sixteen. Nearly got himself killed when the Sisters ambushed us that night. I do not want to see that happen with Cedric, he might not be as lucky as his brother." A hand covered in drying blood slipped through her hair, she still had nightmares about that night.

Paul had been upset when his father had ordered him to remain in the castle and help his older sister with the other children. He had waited until the caravans had been loaded and snuck in just as they were leaving.

They had been planning to infiltrate the castle in Tyr, a known base for Sister activity. Unfortunately they had been unaware of a defector in their midst. That night while they had been asleep in their camp an army of Sisters ambushed them, killing quite a few in their slumber before someone sounded the alarm.

Paul had heard the fight and in a moment of stupidity ran from the safety of the caravan and right into the middle of the battle. He had with him a sword, sadly he had little knowledge on how to use it, his talents leaning more towards the literary arts.

He had engaged one of the Sisters only to find himself minus two fingers, and a slit throat if Bric hadn't of saved him. Sarah had never been more scared or angry in her life, to almost lose her little boy!

Jareth pulled her hand from her hair and brought her up to stand within his arms.

"Don't worry Love, ever since Paul's little brush with death I have had all the caravans checked over twice before we leave and once each time we make a stop. If he was ever to try something so foolish he would be found out before we even made it out of the Labyrinth." He laid a gentle kiss atop her head and brought her in tighter into his arms.

"It is just this war. It has been fifty years Jareth! When will it finally be over, when will we finally be able to be a normal family? Our children almost never see us, man after man has fallen in battle. And so many of them by my hand, so, so many. When can we finally rest?" She buried her face in his chest taking in the scent of sweat and smoke. She knew they had no choice but to fight, but it never stopped her from hoping for one day when she could lay down her sword and be simply a mother and a wife.

"I know it is hard, but you have to keep it together Sarah. Remember what you told me after the battle with Gethin?

"That there would be time for tears and grief when it is done, but for now we must sit on our emotions lest they weaken us into inaction." Sarah nodded slowly, she had been so young when she first spoke those words to Jareth. Her heart had been breaking inside, but she knew that Jareth needed to pull it together. And so she had pushed back the tears and the hurt, she had to be strong for him just as she had to be now. Not just for Jareth, but their children and their kingdom as well.

She pulled back out of his arms wiping away the tears that had begun to fall. There would be time once every last Sister was in their grave to cry, for now she would put on her armor to protect her body and her heart.

"Good, now we have a few days rest before we must leave for Perun and I can think of better ways to spend the time than hiding in the throne room." Sarah laughed as she worked to make herself somewhat presentable.

"I am sure you could, but Jareth, can we maybe try and not get me pregnant again till after this is all over." She smiled and lifted up to lay a soft kiss against his lips knowing that even if he agreed he most likely would never keep that promise. Not that she would blame him, if she could find a way to keep him protected she would do anything to keep him safe.

Anything and Everything.

* * *

Author's Note: Ok, so yeah I said I would never write a sequel for _The Crystal Swan,_ but well I was cleaning the house last week getting ready for a friend's visit and this idea popped into my head. Well sort of, this went in a total different direction than I had planned. If it is rather boring, sorry, the story sort of wrote itself.

_**Also, once I am done with my current Labbys I plan on writing another one, in fact I have I don't know how many lined up. On my Author's Page there is a poll. Click the links to find a journal entry to a preview of the story. I have four up and I have everything ready to write each of them. I thought I would allow the readers to choose which one they would like to read next. I will write the one with the most votes next and go on from there. The poll will be open until I finish "This is My Winter"**_

**Disclaimer: Nope don't own it!**


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